For years, four very close couples, friends since college, have been taking an annual vacation together to luxurious getaway spots to reconnect, reminisce, and reflect on the state of their marital relationships. Their previous reunion at a Colorado ski lodge proved very eventful, especially for the emotionally-abused Sheila (Jill Scott), who eventually summoned up the courage to dump her openly-unfaithful husband, Mike (Richard T. Jones).

The "One Last Big Heist" is a theme of the crime caper genre which has proven to be quite popular over the years. Takers employs that tried and true formula in entertaining fashion, recycling vaguely familiar scenes from the likes of The Italian Job, Ocean's 11, True Romance, District B-13 and, perhaps most obviously, Heat.

In "Videocracy," Silvio Berlusconi is Italy's longest-serving Prime Minister. The key to the media mogul-turned-politician's success lies in the fact that he not only owns all of the country's private television networks but also controls all the state-run stations while in office.

The only thing disappointing about this high body-count horror flick is that it was released too late in the summer to enjoy the long run in theaters it really deserves. Otherwise, this campy B-flick is the best offering from the tongue-in-cheek genre since "Snakes on a Plane," another gratuitous gore fest with a good sense of humor.

Get Low bills itself as "Based on a True Tall Tale" which suggests that the story is more likely folklore than factual. However, what's far more important for cinematic purposes is that what allegedly transpired in 1938 in Roane County, Tennessee be presented in a plausible and entertaining fashion up on the screen.

You know you're watching a groundbreaking documentary when it not only forces you out of your comfort zone but also manages to persuade you to reassess your point-of-view without resorting to potentially-alienating polemic.

For movies opening August 27, 2010

Growing up in an East Indian-American enclave in suburban New Jersey, pretty Palini "Linny" Shah (Pooja Kumar) had a hard time adjusting to the dysfunction created by her mother's (Madhur Jaffrey) mental illness. That was because in her community a bipolar disorder was considered a shameful affliction better left untreated and hidden under a veil of secrecy rather than openly approached with a combination of compassion and professional healthcare.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Spike Lee's new HBO documentary starts on a high note: Super Bowl Sunday 2010, when the New Orleans Saints claim victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
Saints fans, many still reeling from Hurricane Katrina's aftershocks, are deliriously happy

The legendary George Andrew Romero, best known for his "Dead" franchise, is still making monster movies some forty-plus years after making an unforgettable directorial debut with Night of the Living Dead (1968).
"Survival of the Dead" will not disappoint diehard Romero fans who know what to expect of a campy production from the B-movie maven.